Not a fan of raking. I use tarps all the time even for temporary storage of a pile of dirt or sand. I've used the two that I bought to cover my house's roof when I was replacing shingles as a temporary shelter to split under.
I have all free tarps covering the wood stacks picked up with coupons anytime I am near harbor freight. As for the driveway I purchased them at TSC probably 5 years ago and reuse them year after year to put under my splitter and split piles. TSC usually has a sale near winter by the checkouts 6*8 tarps 2 for $5.
We used an old pool tarp for a long time that thing did everything from catch splits to cover vehicles. One tough tarp. I wish ai still has that one. It got blown away in a tornado a few years ago.
Looking good Pete. My splitting area is mobile. Most of the time I like to bring the rounds to the stacking area and split/stack all in one move. Then if the trees are down in an area I can get the splitter and trailer to it becomes the work area.
How do you like your Ariens splitter? I really wanted one but couldn’t pass on the DHT it was too good a price and quaity to let go... I used to split stack all at once but it ends up being more work than I like due to the size of my back yard Normally I split out of the truck trailer into the pile so there’s no rounds laying around but I got WAY behind the last year... so now there’s a round pile. The system is still the same aside from that.
Thankfully I don't have to worry about laying down a tarp; we just split and I usually don't even pick up the trash. Sometimes my wife will pick it up to use for kindling. bogydave is right about the orientation of that splitter though.
I stopped at TSC today to see if they had some pallets; they did but I could not get them in the boot so had to leave them. I really wish I had a truck. I didn't go inside; maybe the next time I visit.
Good catch Dave. I kind of figured that Backwoods Savage would have trained Pete up better being they are close together. And no milk crate. All kidding aside, I don't find vertical is for me for the most part. I do have equipment to heft the large rounds up to the splitter though.
